The Daily Slop – 13 August 2026
Editor’s note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Commanders links
Articles
NOTUS
Commanders Show Few Weaknesses in Joint Practice With Dolphins
Washington’s offense (save for the line at times) and defense both feasted on the Dolphins in the first-ever joint practice held at the Commanders’ practice facility in Ashburn.
Jayden Daniels completed about 70% of his passes and was surgical in the flat, across
the middle, and on deep throws. He dropped long passes right in the bucket for both Dyami Brown (who bobbled and dropped the pass in tight coverage) and Treylon Burks, whose touchdown catch seemed to elicit the loudest response from the thousands of season ticket holders in attendance. Diggs, showcasing his elite route-running skills, also scored on a seam route.
The run game was a different story. Washington was missing center Nick Allegretti (calf) and left tackle Laremy Tunsil (triceps), and it showed in the run blocking — or lack thereof. Running backs Bill Croskey-Merritt and Rachaad White were consistently stuffed, rarely ever getting more than 5 yards down the field. It appeared to be more of an interior issue, as new starting left tackle Brandon Coleman held his own on the outside for most of the day in both run and pass protection.
On Wednesday, Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis was constantly under duress. Linebackers Odafe Oweh and K’Lavon Chaisson were behind the line of scrimmage so quickly that you’d think they played for Miami, and defensive backs Amik Robertson, Rasul Douglas and Mike Sainristil didn’t give an inch to the Dolphins’ receivers.
During two-minute drills to end practice, the Dolphins ran five plays. Willis was sacked on three of them.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Commanders.com:
The Commanders’ defensive players looked like they were having a fun time as they rolled through team drills. The same could not be said for the Dolphins’ offense, which was having a difficult time containing the unit with its constant pressure at every level. It was an encouraging sign for the Commanders, who overhauled the unit in the offseason with free agent signings and draft picks.
The best part about it for the players was actually seeing the concepts they have been working on come to life against another team.
“It’s so fun to see what Coach Daronte is doing with our defense and like playing guys at the spots that really shows their strengths and lets them shine where they’re at,” said linebacker Leo Chenal. “He really mixes up a lot of looks. But those guys are eating up front. We can go a four-man rush and they’re gonna be eating up front. So, that’s really exciting as coverage guys and to be able to have that.”
To read more of this Commanders-dot-com article, CLICK HERE
A to Z Sports
Washington Commanders new-look defense is ready to flip the NFL on its head by turning the tables in its favor
Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Usually, it’s more of a read-and-react-type situation when it comes to the defensive side of things in football. The unit processes what happens after the snap and then responds accordingly.
That won’t be the case with the Washington Commanders defense under Daronte Jones, however. Jones and the Commanders defense is going against the grain and will force opposing offenses to bend the knee to them, instead.
redit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Usually, it’s more of a read-and-react-type situation when it comes to the defensive side of things in football. The unit processes what happens after the snap and then responds accordingly.
That won’t be the case with the Washington Commanders defense under Daronte Jones, however. Jones and the Commanders defense is going against the grain and will force opposing offenses to bend the knee to them, instead.
“This is the this is the first real defense that I played in that ever in my life that you dictate the terms of what the offense does, not the opposite way around,” Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves recently told A to Z Sports. “A lot of times on defense, right, you’re reacting to what the offense is doing. Now it’s like we’re gonna make you do this, or we’re gonna get you out of this, and so you play the cat and mouse game, and that’s the cool part.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
The Athletic (paywall)
Jayden Daniels sparkles and Washington’s D shines: Commanders-Dolphins joint practice report
Daniels looks as good as he’s ever been. Daniels has always been accurate, but his touch on the ball has been even better the last couple of weeks.
Washington’s offensive line looks wholly unlike the one that started camp. The front five was once one of the team’s strongest units, thanks largely to the continuity of the group and the play of Laremy Tunsil. But without him and center Nick Allegretti, the line’s shortcomings and lack of depth are obvious.
The biggest issue is not left tackle, where Brandon Coleman has taken over as the starter. The more concerning issue is the interior. On the right side, second-year tackle Josh Conerly has been on-and-off, at times impressing in one-on-one drills while at other times appearing to get beat in team drills, and vice versa.
The Commanders’ defense had a day. That’s a very good thing. But it requires a bit of context. Miami’s offensive roster is sorely lacking in nearly every area. So yes, Washington’s defensive line feasted and appeared every bit the attacking group that you’d expect from a Brian Flores-style defense. The secondary came up with multiple big plays (Mike Sainristil’s pick-six in the penultimate team period fired up the defense). But it’s impossible to know how much of their complete domination was because of them and not because of Miami.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Last Man Standig:
The first known joint practice at the franchise’s Ashburn facility went the way of the home squad. There’s no scoreboard tallying who won various full-lineup or one-on-one drills or determining the victor of red-zone periods, two-minute drives and special teams work.
Anyone watching across the multiple fields where activity took place would conclude the Commanders, as Jones said, did indeed make progress.
Caveat: The Dolphins are the youngest team in the NFL. They also might be the worst. There are legitimate players on Miami’s roster, but some position groups lack even a modicum of NFL-viable talent. All of this is to say we might not have gained significant insight into where Washington stands three weeks into training camp.
But there was a lot to like regardless.
For more from Ben Standig, click here
Sports Illustrated
The Good and Not So Good From Commanders vs. Dolphins Joint Practice
Jake Moody and Drew Stevens both bounced back with bigger eyes on them Wednesday after sharing their worst days of camp Monday. The two both went 6-for-6, with field goals from 33, 38, 43, 48, 52, and 60 yards, with the 60-yarder representing their longest attempts of camp. Stevens is still very much in the driver’s seat in terms of overall camp body of work, but Moody’s rebound of a day tells me he is not done yet.
For the most part, pass protection was not an issue, but the team was getting little to no push up front, with Jacory Croskey-Merritt continuously stuffed without much space up the gut. It’s hard to know what exactly the issue was without being in the huddle; at this point, all we can do is make note of it and see what we see in the preseason.
The offense is still working through some technical issues, with the first-team period containing at least one false start call, which they have had continuous issues with in camp. Rookie center Matt Gulbin had multiple bad snaps, not a good sign in a situation where Washington is trying to fix the center problem, or at least provide depth without anyone running away with the job. While neither issue erased the overall good day, these self-inflicted mistakes could come back to haunt this team once the regular season begins.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
From Commanders.com:
In third down drills, Lawrence Cager was one of the clear offensive standouts with two grabs from Marcus Mariota. The battle to be the potential fourth tight end on the roster has heated up in recent practices, as Cager and Colson Yankoff have made some nice catches with John Bates still out of practice.
For the “move the ball” portion of practice, the Dolphins’ offense didn’t do much to move the ball, mostly because the Commanders’ pass-rush was often in the backfield. Daron Payne forced Willis to leave the pocket on the first play, and Shy Tuttle got a tackle on the line of scrimmage one play later. Josephs forced quarterback Quinn Ewers to throw a pass into the dirt because of how he sniffed out a play-action pass. Josephs was in Ewers’ face as he turned around for the rollout and would have recorded a sack in a game.
To read more of this Commanders-dot-com article, CLICK HERE
ESPN
Inside Dan Quinn’s master plan to revive the Commanders
This January, Quinn moved on from both coordinators, citing a lack of production on defense and a need for a change in philosophy on offense.
Despite the changes, Quinn heads into Year 3 leading a team projected by ESPN’s Mike Clay to win 6.4 games and finish last in the NFC East. And that was prior to losing All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil to a triceps injury Saturday. But Quinn insists his focus is not on outside expectations, but on rebuilding the standards he felt had slipped a season ago.
“I don’t feel under pressure,” Quinn said. “I don’t think in that kind of way.”
one person who knows him well said Quinn, who hasn’t had conversations about his job with team owner Josh Harris heading into this season, according to sources with knowledge of his situation, seems to have been invigorated by 2025’s downturn. And he is focused on returning the Commanders to where they were entering last season, in part, by doubling down on the details and ramping up the energy levels in the building.
Part of his plan has involved adding more competition to team meetings. At times that could mean having a basketball shooting contest between a player and a coach. It also could mean a table tennis match or even a friendship quiz — when two sets of two players must answer questions about how well they know the other. One time two players competed to see who could finish song lyrics. Another time they played the trivia game Kahoot!, asking questions based on Washington’s offensive and defensive systems.
But, on the same spring day the National Spelling Bee was held in Washington, D.C., it was Ott vs. Ho — Harvard vs. Vanderbilt. Ott misspelled “etcetera” and “miscellaneous” — the word that made him pause — and lost by one.
“I don’t know the last time I actually spelled miscellaneous,” Ott said, shrugging his shoulders. “I was an Econ major.”
To combat…complacency, Quinn placed extra emphasis on competition. He also installed a video leaderboard — visible from the moment you walk into the facility — that tracks categories such as ball security and takeaways, completion percentages, preparation and engagement in the meeting rooms. There’s even a category for linebackers dubbed “intensity yards.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Bullock’s Film Room (subscription)
What can the Commanders expect to get from Brandon Coleman at left tackle?
[I]t’s easy to forget that Coleman actually filled in for Tunsil a few times down the stretch last year and held up relatively well.
In the run game, I think Coleman will be absolutely fine. He showed he was a strong run blocker when he started at left tackle in 2024 and even when he struggled at guard last year, he was still good in the run game. The Commanders are expected to become more of an outside zone run team this year and Coleman has the athleticism to play that scheme to a high level.
But Coleman’s issues as a rookie left tackle weren’t in the run game. His pass protection was inconsistent, often flashing some nice moves but frequently mixed in some poor reps too. Let’s start with the positives first. In 2024, he took on a variety of good pass rushers and had some nice reps against all of them. He was particularly efficient with a hand flash technique that got the better of both Brian Burns and Trey Hendrickson, two of the better pass rushers in the NFL.
The Athletic (paywall)
2026 NFC East preview, offseason recap for Eagles, Cowboys, Commanders & Giants
Washington Commanders (5-12 in 2025)
Headline: Laremy Tunsil injured. He’s the second-most valuable Commander, per our beat reporter Nicki Jhabvala, and Tunsil’s triceps injury will keep him out for months. Brandon Coleman shifts to left tackle, where he started when the Commanders won 12 games in 2024 (but a rookie Jayden Daniels took 47 sacks). This puts a particularly big damper on Washington’s running game. Brutal.
Subtle: Two first-time coordinators. The headline change until Tunsil’s injury was coach Dan Quinn’s bet on first-time play callers David Blough and Daronte Jones. It sounds like Daniels is already mastering Blough’s offense, which has him under center more, while Jones’ revamped defense showed promising signs in camp after Washington allowed the most yards in the NFL last year.
Question: Can Daniels stay healthy? His magic covered Washington’s holes in 2024. Year 2 was different. He suffered a sprained left knee, a right hamstring injury and a dislocated left elbow (which happened as the Commanders were losing 38-7 in the fourth quarter). The 25-year-old is healthy and ready to get back to winning. Can that continue for a player who has struggled to protect himself?
Projection: 7-10. The impressive 12-5 record two years ago included five wins on the last play from scrimmage. So while the Commanders are better than last year’s 5-12, don’t expect a reversion to 2024. BetMGM projects 7.5 wins. I’ll take the under after Tunsil’s injury.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Podcasts & videos
NO FLUKE: Commanders Defense Carries Camp Pressure Against Dolphins
NFC East links
Big Blue View
OC Matt Nagy: Giants only ‘halfway through’ installing their offense
That doesn’t seem optimal with the season a few weeks away
More often than not throughout the early stages of New York Giants training camp, the defense has gotten the better of the offense during team periods.
That is cause for alarm among some on the fan base . There are many who did not like the hiring of Matt Nagy as offensive coordinator, and aren’t sure how the Giants’ offense is going to come together with multiple former head coaches or play callers on the staff.
Nagy offered a hint regarding why the offense has not been better during first first media availability of training camp on Tuesday. As Nagy explains it, the offense we are seeing is far from complete, and far from polished.
“We’re halfway through camp right now. We have still two and a half weeks. We’re halfway through our run install and halfway through our pass install, if it gives you any perspective,” Nagy said. “We still have a lot left, and we’re trying to just figure out, “Okay, what do we want to do as we go through it?” And we think we have a good idea.“
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
NFL league links
Articles
ESPN
J.J. McCarthy wants to stay with Vikings after losing QB job
The decision to name Kyler Murray the winner of the Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback competition this week was “out of my control,” former starter J.J. McCarthy said Wednesday.
“Obviously, every competitor wants to play,” McCarthy said. “But moving forward, it’s just about continuing to work hard and just staying ready for when my number’s called.”
Asked why he thought the competition was out of his control, McCarthy said: “There’s so many things out of my control, like the heat today. And it’s just really having the discernment to figure out which of the two [quarterbacks], and that was one of the things outside of my control. And me attacking and optimizing every opportunity, which was in my control, and that’s all I was focusing on.”
Coach Kevin O’Connell said Tuesday that McCarthy is now the No. 2 quarterback. But the Vikings also have veteran Carson Wentz on the roster, and a trade could become a possibility.
In the spring, McCarthy compared the Vikings’ quarterback room to a high school classroom, where he would sit on one side of the room and Murray the other.
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
Discussion topics
ESPN
Daniels sends cease and desist to LSU after Pickett given No. 5
An attorney representing Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has informed LSU that it can no longer use his name, image and likeness, according to an Aug. 5 letter sent to Tigers athletic director Verge Ausberry, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN on Wednesday.
At the center of the dispute, according to a statement from Daniels’ spokesperson to ESPN, is that the Tigers are allowing sophomore cornerback DJ Pickett to wear the No. 5 jersey that Daniels wore when he became LSU’s third Heisman Trophy winner in 2023.
While Daniels’ jersey hasn’t been retired by the Tigers, it’s the first time a player has worn No. 5 since he left the program for the NFL.
“The Daniels family is deeply disappointed and feels profoundly disrespected by LSU’s decision to give Jayden’s number to another player,” the statement from Daniels’ spokesperson said. “Jayden and his family had every reason to believe that his number would remain a meaningful part of his LSU legacy and would be honored and protected in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to the university.”
Pickett wore a No. 3 jersey during his first season with the Tigers in 2025 when he was named a freshman All-American. He led LSU with three interceptions to go with 37 tackles and one sack in 524 defensive snaps.
Kiffin told reporters on Aug. 5 that Pickett had been promised he could wear No. 5 when he signed with the Tigers in December 2024. Pickett had worn that number as a high school star in Zephyrhills, Florida, where he was the No. 2 cornerback in the Class of 2025 by ESPN Recruiting.
“Jayden made it clear that he did not want his number given to another player, and he believed his wishes would be respected,” the statement said. “His Heisman Trophy-winning season and everything he accomplished on and off the field cemented his place in LSU history. To see his number given to another player is incredibly disappointing and feels like a failure to honor the significance of what Jayden accomplished at LSU.”
Sources told ESPN that Daniels feels he is being treated differently than Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, whose No. 9 jersey hasn’t been worn at LSU since he won the Heisman Trophy and led LSU to a 15-0 record and College Football Playoff national championship in 2019.
“DJ is in [No.] 5, and that was a situation that was promised to him in recruiting here, for him to sign here,” Kiffin said. “I’ve done a lot of research on that with the family and the representatives and the people, so really I didn’t have a decision to make. It was promised to the kid; it wasn’t done for whatever [reason]. I’m not going to get into that.
“I’m not going to judge something [that was done] when I wasn’t here. But when a kid is promised something to come to a school, he should wear it. So, at that point, I don’t think that’s really my decision. We should honor what he was told.”
Former LSU coach Brian Kelly told ESPN on Wednesday that he believed No. 5 was promised to Pickett during his recruitment, but Kelly chose not to issue it to him because Daniels wasn’t on board with Pickett wearing his number.
Kelly was fired on Oct. 26, 2025, after his teams compiled a 34-14 record in four seasons.
“I just wasn’t prepared to do it until we got a full commitment from another Heisman Trophy winner,” Kelly said. “We didn’t want to issue No. 9, so you can’t treat one differently from the other.”
In the cease and desist letter sent to Ausberry, attorney Adam Kenner noted that Daniels’ contract with LSU permitted the school to use his name, image and likeness for 180 days beyond his final game in college.
“Accordingly, LSU must immediately cease and desist from any further issue use, display, publication, distribution, promotion, commercialization, or other exploitation of Mr. Daniels’ NIL in any manner or medium,” Kenner wrote. “Any use of Mr. Daniels’ NIL occurring after LSU’s receipt of this notice will be deemed knowing and willful and will be pursued vigorously through all available legal and equitable remedies, without further notice.”
To read more of this article, CLICK HERE
